Here is the second part of my article dedicated to the best wine bars in Montreal. I present you five other places to discover to have a good glass of wine in the metropolis of Quebec: Le Comptoir Charcuteries et Vins, Chez Lavigne, la Buvette Chez Simone, le Rouge Gorge and le Vin Papillon. Cheers!

Le Comptoir Charcuteries et Vins

Located on Saint-Laurent Avenue, a stone’s throw from Saint-Joseph Avenue, Le Comptoir was opened in October 2010. The owner, chef Segué Lepage, had the goal of opening a place where you could have a good glass of wine while eating, among other things, homemade charcuterie. At the time, working with charcuterie yourself was not a common practice in Montreal.

Le Comptoir Charcuteries et Vins met en grande majorité de l’avant des vins nature ou bio. La carte des vins montée par la sommelière et copropriétaire Laurence Michèle Dufour met en lumière des petits vignerons qui travaillent bien, «petits par la taille, mais grands pour la qualité de leurs vins». La carte, qui contient une centaine de références (d

Le Comptoir Charcuteries et Vins features mostly natural or organic wines. The wine list put together by sommelier and co-owner Laurence Michèle Dufour highlights small winemakers who work well, “small in size, but big in the quality of their wines. The wine list, which contains about 100 wines (many from France), changes a lot. Le Comptoir offers about a dozen wines by the glass, which are renewed every week.

As for the food, if the traditional plank of artisanal charcuterie remains a must, the culinary offer of Le Comptoir is far from being limited to that. The dishes prepared by Segué Lepage combine finesse and balance and highlight market products. Laurence recommends two per person. The chef will always try to use a delicatessen in each of the dishes prepared.

Le Comptoir also organizes wine events, especially when winemakers are in town to offer tastings of their wines, at a modest price in order to democratize wine.

Le Comptoir has opened a boutique, La Réserve du Comptoir, located on Amherst Street, near the Marché Saint-Jacques. You can stock up on your favorite charcuterie, which is made on site!

We like: the tasty dishes, the very glouglou wines on the menu, the very relaxed atmosphere of the place, and the home-made charcuterie 🙂
To treat yourself: wines from Massa Vecchia (Tuscany), Pierre Frick (Alsace), Bruno Duchêne (Roussillon), Eric Pfifferling (Southern Rhône), Frank Cornellissen (Sicily), Thierry Allemand (Cornas), Prieuré-Roch (Bourgogne).

Le Comptoir Charcuteries et Vins
4807 boulevard Saint-Laurent Montréal, QC H2T 1R6
(514) 844 8467
comptoircharcuteriesetvins.ca

Chez Lavigne

In the heart of the Saint-Henri neighborhood in the southwestern part of the island of Montreal, Chez Lavigne is the latest addition to the Montreal wine scene. Created by Éric Bernard and Catherine Tremblay, the wine bar that features “live” wines opened in March 2016. It was Catherine who put together the wine list with a focus on wines without any added chemicals. Consumers are more and more interested in knowing what they are eating and the owners of Chez Lavigne think it is the same for what they are drinking.

The particularity of the bar is that all the wines are available by the glass! If the menu only has about thirty references, it changes very regularly. As for food, the menu is elaborated with products from local suppliers. There are dishes to share such as mushroom dumplings, salmon gravlax or herring rillettes. More substantial dishes are also on the menu, such as pork loin or guinea fowl confit.

Chez Lavigne has just launched a wine club. Depending on the type of annual membership, you can get discounts on wine, food, tastings, and even get a free bottle at the bar for your birthday!

We like: all wines are available by the glass, oysters at $1.50 and $10 off bottles on Thursday night, very original and tasty cuisine.
To treat yourself: a champagne from Larmandier-Bernier, wines from Milan Nestarec (Czech Republic), Olivier Pithon (Roussillon) or Jean Foillard (Beaujolais).

Chez Lavigne
4280 rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Montréal, QC H4C 1R6
(514) 939-1111
chezlavigne.com

Buvette Chez Simone

Opened in June 2008, Buvette Chez Simone is located on Avenue du Parc, on the border of Mile End, Outremont and Plateau Mont-Royal. Simone Chevalot, who was an actress at the time but had always worked in the restaurant business, wanted to set up a European-style wine bar. At that time, there were only bars and restaurants. Too few places were able to offer a nice wine offer and combine it with quality food. Simone joined forces with 5 other partners to create La Buvette, a casual wine bar with the goal of making it affordable for everyone.

The wine list has about sixty references. La Buvette offers its customers 8 glasses of red wine by the glass, 8 whites, one rosé, and one orange wine. The wine list is very European and features wines that are easy to digest, fresh and easy to drink. In short, thirsty wines. The wines by the glass are changed every two weeks.

In the kitchen, Chef Julia Giraud is in charge. The menu changes according to the seasons, but always includes some classics like the famous roast chicken of the Buvette. Some customers come all the way to the bar just for the chicken just out of the rotisserie!

We like: the festive and relaxed atmosphere of the Buvette, the very eclectic clientele, the terrace.
To treat yourself: the wines of Gérard Boulay (Sancerre), Camin Larredya (Jurançon), Olivier Pithon (Roussillon), Alain Graillot (Rhône), Philippe Bornard (Jura), Mas Jullien (Languedoc), Philippe Pacalet (Beaujolais).

Buvette Chez Simone
4869 avenue du Parc, Montréal, QC H2V 4E7
(514) 750-6577
buvettechezsimone.com

Rouge Gorge

Rouge Gorge opened in March 2015 in the heart of the Mount Royal neighborhood. The co-owners, Alain Rochard and Laurent Farre, own a vineyard in the south of France, Vignoble du Loup blanc. The bar has a very extensive wine list with more or less 400 references depending on the season. Most of the wines are organic and biodynamic, but there are also a few natural wines, often thirsty wines. The menu changes regularly. The bar also offers a very large choice of wines by the glass, between 30 and 40.

The owners were at the head of the Continental restaurant which for a long time was a reference in Montreal. They had built a cellar there for almost 25 years. Some of the pins followed and Rouge Gorge now has several great vintages. The bar organizes tasting trios every Tuesday night. On Monday nights, you can listen to jazz, and on Wednesdays, private import agencies sometimes taste their wines. On Fridays, the atmosphere is set with the presence of DJs.

If the Rouge Gorge is above all a bar (one comes there to drink more than to eat), it is nevertheless possible to eat there. The first part of the menu is composed of classics such as oysters, cold meats or cheeses, the second part of the menu is composed of dishes that change according to the market products.

Rouge Gorge has also created a wine club called Red Gorges. Being part of the club gives you access to group tours of vineyards, certain tastings as well as the purchase of certain wines as private imports.

We like: the wines offered by the half-glass, the very well-stocked wine list (including a lot of great wines from Languedoc), the decoration.
To treat yourself: a Champagne from Lassaigne, wines from Hubert Lamy or Philippe Pacalet (Burgundy), François Cotat (Sancerre), Chateau Rayas or Jean-Louis Chave (Rhône), Domaine de Montcalmès, Roc d’Anglade and Grange des Pères (Languedoc), Domaine Belluard (Savoie), etc.

Rouge Gorge
1234 avenue du Mont-Royal Est, Montréal, Québec, H2J 1Y1
(514) 303-3822
rougegorge.ca

Vin papillon

Located on Notre-Dame Street West, at the intersection of Atwater Avenue, Vin Papillon opened its doors in 2013, next to its big brother the famous Joe Beef restaurant. Vanya Filipovic, the sommelier and co-owner of Vin Papillon has put together a wine list that features natural, organic and accessible wines. The wine list is not written. The hundred or so wines available are listed on the slate, which is very practical, because the wine offer changes regularly according to the arrivals. The bar offers a dozen wines by the glass.

The atmosphere at Vin Papillon is very relaxed. In fact, the bar does not take any reservations in order to leave room for anyone who wants to come and have a drink or spend the whole evening there! The bar has a very nice terrace in the back where we organize barbecues in the summer.

Chef Marc-Olivier Frappier’s cuisine pays particular attention to the use of vegetables. At Vin Papillon, we share small plates cooked with market products. No plate is over $20, the idea being to treat yourself without breaking the bank! One of the classics of the place is the famous maple smoked piglet ham.

We like: the complementary nature of the wine and food offer, the vibrant and friendly atmosphere of the place, the decoration, the terrace.
To treat yourself: a champagne from Frédéric Savart, wines from Pierre Frick or Audrey and Christian Binner (Alsace), Frédéric Cossard, Alice and Olivier de Moor or Prieuré-Roch (Burgundy), Hervé Souhaut (Ardèche), Jean-François Ganevat (Jura), Bruno Duchêne (Roussillon), etc.

Vin Papillon
2519 rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Montréal, Québec, H3J 1N4
(514) 282-2020
vinpapillon.com